Advertise on podcast: How to Tell Stories to Children

Explore the science and art of joyful learning with Joseph Sarosy, co-author of How to Tell Stories to Children and the creator the Juniper School.

Listening to family stories helps children develop: self-esteemempathya sense of purpose and belongingless depression and anxiety In this 12 minute episode, we share some of the research on the impact of sharing family stories on children, followed by a simple game to help take the pressure off and make sharing stories more spontaneous and fun. Storytelling is a tool for creating connection. We wish you and your family a relaxing and meaningful holiday season.

A child hears a secret message every time you tell a story - you care. You're willing. You took the time to share yourself, and the intimate corners of your imagination. This is an important message, one we all need to hear from time to time, especially as we grow. We need to hear our fathers getting playful and creative. We need to hear our mothers, grandparents, and uncles. Teachers. It helps us feel recognized, valuable, and proud. It's easy to think that storytelling is about exciting stories. It's actually about building connection between you and your kids, or between friends, family, and neighbors. It's fluid. It's flexible. There's room in the world for your own unique expression, amidst a diversity of voices that spans the planet. It's your birthright as a human being. That's why we tell stories. Sharing stories from the heart takes guts. It takes courage. We don't do it to entertain ourselves (though that's fun) - we do it to build relationships.

After three years of focused work on How to Tell Stories to Children, Joseph Sarosy is moving on. Silke and Joe tell a shared story to commemorate this shift, followed by some of the directions they'll both be taking in the next few weeks and months. Rest assured, their common interests are growing closer, not apart. In part, Joe is stepping away to make more room for Silke to take center stage. Look for more Randolph Roots stories in the near future and some refreshed energy and direction from her. However, Silke is right now in Germany with her mother and her dying father. It is a little uncertain when she will return to this podcast, but return she shall. Joe is shifting his focus back to writing about education, children, and wilderness. His blog Off Grid Kids led to the creation of How to Tell Stories to Children over three years ago, and he's returning to that subject matter with a new blog titled Rare Earth. He is also working on a second book - about trees, neural development, and education. You can find his work at www.josephsarosy.com. Thanks for all your support!

Willie Wichtel, the Christmas gnome, is tired and ill. He worries that no one will be able to make all the Christmas magic happen. When Randolph Roots shows up to give Willie some rest and attention, Eddie Elf takes charge. He helps all the helpful little wichtels get organized, for they have much work to do. Wichtels are helpful little creatures that arrive at our hearths each year to help parents and grandparents with the extra tasks of the holiday season. Chopping kindling, washing dishes, sweeping floors - they do it all silently while the people rest. You can be a wichtel too! But shh...every kind deed they do is a well kept secret. This is Season 2 - After the story, Silke & Joe discuss the story's context and meaning. The story comes first, so that listeners with little children can access them easily. Our goal is to inspire you. We love telling stories, but we love it even more when you feel empowered to tell your own. Whether you find inspiration in the stories, or something of value in the discussion - let that be your guide to opening your own voice.

Randolph and Naughty Foot wake to find a rum-tumbling witch capering through the forest. She loves Halloween and Thanksgiving, and she's a bit of a mischief maker. After turning the forest pond into a giant pumpkin pie, all the animals are invited to the feast.

Thanks to elegant research from some of the best scientists in the world, we are finally beginning to understand why stories wield unique significance for Homo sapiens - including why our brains are able to comprehend them in the first place. If you have ever watched a child act out a story, you have observed something exceptional about the impact of stories on human behavior. Not only do we understand them, we move our bodies and limbs in tandem with the stories in our minds – even if, as is often the case, we know them not to be true. No other animal, so far as we know, possesses this remarkable trait. The human relationship between story and behavior sheds new light on the question of whether a particular story is true or false. Better to ask - is it effective? If it motivates behavior, and that behavior impacts the individual and/or others, then the story is of consequence. But stories aren't just play things. They are the root of our religions, nations, and the precious possessions of our cultures. We may sacrifice much in life, but we will often live and die for the right story. To understand why, we need to take a deeper look into how stories take up residence in our brains, and what happens when they depart. This is your brain on stories.

Randolph visits a corn field, where he listens to the story told by the Corn Mother to the little seeds within the cob. He is gifted a few of the seed babies, which he takes on his journey. On his way home, Randolph comes across a house where the mother and father are arguing. Their child is saddened by their arguments, and Randolph talks with her. He gives her the seed babies, which bring a magical blessing into the home. This is Season 2 - After the story, Silke & Joe discuss the story's context and meaning. The story comes first, so that listeners with little children can access them easily. Our goal is to inspire you. We love telling stories, but we love it even more when you feel empowered to tell your own. Whether you find inspiration in the stories, or something of value in the discussion - let that be your guide to opening your own voice.

Amalgamesh was a mid-level wizard who wished to be a great wizard. For that, he needed a crystal ball. But not just any crystal ball - one crafted by his own hands. In return for a few chickens with which to feed his family, a stone mason helps Amalgamesh polish and craft his crystal ball. Finally, after months of work Amalgamesh discovers a fatal flaw - something he could not see until the crystal was nearly complete. Feeling dejected, Amalgamesh resorts to anger and frustration - till a young child helps him recognize that his place in the community is what makes him a great sorceror, not his greatness above others. This is Season 2 - After the story, Silke & Joe discuss the story's context and meaning. The story comes first, so that listeners with little children can access them easily. Our goal is to inspire you. We love telling stories, but we love it even more when you feel empowered to tell your own. Whether you find inspiration in the stories, or something of value in the discussion - let that be your guide to opening your own voice.

Hi everyone! We are excited to return with Season 2 of our podcast. We are doing things a little differently this season, so here’s what to expect. A story comes first, so that listeners with little children can access them easily. After the story, adults will have a chance to listen to part 2 – where Silke & Joe give a little background and perspective on the story. Our goal is to inspire you. We love telling stories, but we love it even more when you feel empowered to tell your own. You may find inspiration in the stories. You may find something of value in the discussion. Whatever strikes you, let that be your guide to opening your own voice, like a beautiful flower blossoming after a long drink in the summer sun. In this episode, Randolph Roots encounters a circle of fairies singing around an old and dying apple tree. In acknowledging the loss, there is also a celebration of new life - a tiny seedling sprouting nearby. As we move into Autumn, we invite you to explore stories like this with your children. Maybe take a tour of your garden, yard, or neighborhood, then tell a story about a tree or plant that made an impression on you. Tying stories like this into real life experiences can be incredibly meaningful for both parent and child. P.S - We will still occasional publish episodes on timely storytelling topics and ideas.

A shell reminds a young man of the ancient creatures that used to dwell in what is now the desert.

An ancient civilization filled with people that can change the color of their skin like an octopus.